Written Answers

Wednesday 24 May 2000

Scottish Executive

Adult Literacy

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in raising levels of numeracy and literacy amongst adults.

Henry McLeish: I have announced on 15 May that I shall be setting up a task force to identify the true extent of the problem and its characteristics, set out a detailed programme of action, detail where resources have to be spent and provide targets to drive forward improvement.

  Meantime, the Executive is funding a 40,000 increase in student places in the FE colleges. I have asked the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and the colleges to consider what proportion of the additional places should appropriately be targeted at those in need of basic skills courses.

Cancer

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are given to breast cancer screening units on the number of views to be taken at repeat mammogram appointments.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any geographical variance in the number of views taken at repeat mammogram appointments in breast screening units.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Screening Programme Central Co-ordinating Unit provides guidance to Breast Screening Centres about repeat mammogram appointments. The number of views taken at repeat mammography appointments is based on an assessment of each individual case and depends on the reason for calling the woman back and on the individual's physical condition. Geographical location is not taken into account in determining the number of views.

Cancer

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will be allocated to extending breast cancer screening for women up to the age of 69.

Susan Deacon: The results of the Scottish project aimed at assessing the implications of extending the upper age limit of invitation for breast screening are being considered by the Scottish Breast Screening National Advisory Group. In addition, the UK National Screening Committee will also be considering the evidence available on this issue when they next meet in June. I will consider the recommendations and any associated costs from both the National Screening Committee and National Advisory Group in due course.

Enterprise

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the awarding of army uniform contract ST1A/1335 to Feuchter in Germany rather than Macbeans in Cumbernauld.

Henry McLeish: The Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency (DCTA) is responsible for the procurement of all clothing and textiles for the Ministry of Defence. The Scottish Executive was not approached by any Scottish clothing manufacturers about the contract prior to its award.

Enterprise

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions were held with Jaeger Tailoring, Kilmarnock prior to the announcement of 180 redundancies on 9 May 2000.

Henry McLeish: Jaeger Tailoring, Kilmarnock did not contact the Scottish Executive prior to this announcement. However, Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire has been in close touch with the company in recent months. This contact will continue in order to support future operations at the company and those affected by the recent announcement. We shall ensure that such support is being provided in accordance with the principles set out in our PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) document.

Equal Opportunities

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6286 by Jackie Baillie on 9 May 2000, what the running costs budget of the Equality Unit is, specifying in particular the number of staff and their salaries.

Jackie Baillie: Further to my answer to your question S1W-6286 on 9 May 2000, I should clarify that, as outlined in the recently published document Investing in You: Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive, the planned programme expenditure for Equalities in 2000-01 is £0.5 million within the aggregate figure of £6.4 million identified for Voluntary Sector and Equalities.

  The budget for running the Equality Unit for 2000-01 is £209,000, which includes provision for seven members of staff. Salaries are not disclosed to protect the privacy of those concerned.

Equal Opportunities

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the precise remit is of the Equality Unit.

Jackie Baillie: The remit of the Equality Unit is to support the Executive in the delivery of its commitments on equal opportunities.

  To that end the Equality Unit has the following role:

  to provide support to Ministers on equality issues;

  to develop the mainstreaming of equal opportunities across the Executive;

  to promote equal opportunities within the Executive and beyond;

  to provide a visible external profile on equality issues and a point of contact on equal opportunities within the Executive;

  to liaise with the Equal Opportunities Committee of the Parliament;

  to liaise with Whitehall in particular over the impact of reserved equality legislation;

  to have oversight of the equality issues within public appointments.

Equal Opportunities

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Education and Training (Scotland) Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Family Homes and Homelessness (Scotland) Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the National Parks (Scotland) Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Budget (Scotland) Act 2000.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2000.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.

Jackie Baillie: It is the responsibility of sponsoring departments to assess the equal opportunities implications of their policy and proposed legislation. The Equality Unit has a role to assist departments in that process as part of the mainstreaming of equal opportunities. Work on the mainstreaming of equal opportunities is at an early stage.

  Existing guidance on policy appraisal for equal treatment was made available to departments in July 1999. The Equality Unit is considering how this guidance and the process of policy appraisal can be developed.

Equal Opportunities

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the Equality Unit had an input to Investing in You: The Annual Report of the Scottish Executive .

Jackie Baillie: In compiling spending plans, it is for departments to consider the equal opportunities implications. As part of the mainstreaming of equal opportunities the Equality Unit has a role in assisting departments in this process.

  Existing guidance on policy appraisal for equal treatment was made available to departments in July 1999. The Equality Unit is considering how this guidance and the process of policy appraisal can be developed.

European Funding

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what input it had into the revised assisted area map.

Henry McLeish: The Assisted Areas map is a reserved matter.

  The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with The Scotland Office on a range of matters affecting the development of the Scottish economy, including the proposals for a new Assisted Areas map.

European Funding

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be taken to address any losses to Angus if Her Majesty’s Government’s revised Assisted Area boundary proposals are introduced.

Henry McLeish: Scottish Enterprise Tayside is funded to implement all aspects of its agreed strategy and to deal with economic pressures that may arise from time to time within its area.

Further Education

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change management arrangements within the 47 further education colleges and, if so, whether it will do so within this parliamentary session.

Henry McLeish: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-6962.

Further Education

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what grounds the trade union representatives on further education college boards of management are the only representatives who are required to be elected.

Henry McLeish: Schedule 2 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 does not provide that any member of a board of management must be a representative of a trade union. However, it does provide that one of the board members shall be elected by the teaching staff of the college from within their number and one by the non-teaching staff of the college from within their number.

Further Education

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the composition of boards of management within the 47 further education colleges whereby at least 50% of the members of boards are unelected and how it ensures that board members are accountable and representative.

Henry McLeish: I have no plans to do so.

  Schedule 2 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 requires that not less than half of the total number of the board must be appointed by the board from among persons, not being members of the staff or full-time students at the college, appearing to them to have experience of, and to have shown capacity in, industrial, commercial or employment matters or the practice of any profession. One such person must be a person nominated by the local enterprise company for the area in which the college is located.

  Accordingly, the board is expected to fill a vacancy, other than those places reserved for the Principal and for representatives of staff and students, by deciding which persons appear to them to be most suitable in terms of their experience and capacity to contribute to the management of the college.

  College boards have a statutory duty to manage their colleges and to ensure that they provide suitable and efficient further education to students of their colleges. They have powers to remove members from office in particular circumstances. Scottish Ministers also have powers to remove any or all members of a board if it appears to them that the affairs of the board have been or are being mismanaged.

  The Scottish Further Education Funding Council is responsible for ensuring that the highest standards are in place across all colleges’ activities, including the efficient management of colleges. I look forward to receiving shortly a report commissioned from the council following a review of the Management of Scottish Further Education Colleges. I shall consider carefully the council’s findings and recommendations.

Further Education

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will intervene in the current dispute in Coatbridge College regarding imposition of a recognition and procedure agreement; whether it has held discussions with the Principal and/or the Educational Institute of Scotland College Lecturers’ Association branch, and what its policy is on this issue.

Henry McLeish: Scottish Ministers have no locus to intervene in such matters.

  Relations with its staff trade unions are entirely a matter for the Board of Management of Coatbridge College. A college board has a statutory duty to manage the college and to provide suitable and efficient further education to students of the college.

Health

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made towards establishing a new hospital at Invergordon.

Susan Deacon: Highland Primary Care Trust submitted an outline business case, which was approved, in February 2000 to create a Primary Care Centre for Easter Ross at Invergordon. A full business case is now being prepared by the Trust.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any involvement in or parallel initiatives to the Public Health Observatories launched by Her Majesty's Government to help tackle health inequalities.

Susan Deacon: As part of England’s public health agenda, as detailed in its White Paper Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation , a Public Health Observatory is being established in each of its eight NHS Regions. Their role will be to facilitate local priority-setting and planning by monitoring disease patterns and trends at local level; to analyse data to give early warning of emerging health problems and changes in health trends, and to evaluate the impact of local actions and assess the effectiveness of local agencies in improving health and tackling health inequalities. In Scotland the forthcoming creation of the Public Health Institute, which was proposed as part of the review of the Public Health Function, will contribute to the development and co-ordination of the efforts of the organisations already working on such issues.

Housing

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what budgetary allocation, for each of the last four years, has been made to local authorities to make provision for replacement of lead piping within (a) private sector households and (b) public sector households.

Ms Wendy Alexander: No such allocations are made by the Scottish Executive. It is for local authorities to decide how best to deploy the resources available to them to meet housing need, including the replacement of lead piping.

Justice

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, whether, in view of its animal welfare responsibilities, it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to make it a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 not to report to the police any injury caused to cats through road accidents.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive has no plans to make such representations. Road Traffic law is reserved although we are monitoring the current reviews of the Road Traffic Acts being carried out by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Local Government

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have appointed Home Safety Officers.

Iain Gray: I understand that 10 local authorities have appointed officers with specific responsibility for home safety on a full-time or part-time basis.

Local Government

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to require local authorities to provide minimum standards and a common access route to funding in respect of the provision of disabled aids and adaptations, and whether it has any plans to standardise charging policies of local authorities with regard to the provision of disabled aids and adaptations.

Iain Gray: The Joint Future Group ,  which I   chair, is examining how equipment services can be better managed. We will be considering a wide range of aspects relevant to the question.

Local Government

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider making provision in its forthcoming Local Government Bill to enable local authorities to make different arrangements in different areas for local control of decision making to meet varying local wishes and needs.

Mr Frank McAveety: Decisions on forthcoming legislative programmes have not yet been taken. The Scottish Executive already recognises the importance of a flexible approach to decision making in Scottish local government. We acknowledge that different arrangements in different councils are sometimes necessary due to the diverse nature of Scottish councils. Each council should be working to modernise in a way which best meets local needs, a principle which underpins councils’ self-reviews of decision-making processes currently being overseen by the Leadership Advisory Panel.

Mental Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the current availability and provision of specialised mental health information and advice services, and its plans for future provisions.

Iain Gray: Health boards, NHS Trusts, local authorities, local health councils, the Scottish Health Advisory Service, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland and the voluntary and private sector currently provide a range of information and advice on mental health.

  The information and advice will vary in depth and range depending on the organisation and the care need targeted.

Special Educational Needs Advisory Forum

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the remit, membership, process for membership selection, aims and objectives and the work to date of the Special Educational Needs Advisory Forum.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In their response to the Riddell Report in Autumn 1999, Ministers invited nominations for the forum. Over 50 were received, of which 19, representing a broad base of SEN and related expertise and geographical spread, were invited to join the group. The membership list is set out in Annex A.

  The forum’s remit is set out in Annex B

  At its inaugural meeting on 28 March, the forum agreed that its initial priority would be to examine the Record of Needs process. The forum will decide on other priorities at its next meeting on 6 June.

  Annex A

  


Membership of 
National SEN Advisory Forum




Mrs Jayne Ansell


Director Sleep Scotland, Member 
of Enable’s National Children’s Committee




Ms Jane Arrowsmith


Scottish Independent Special 
Schools Group




Mrs Jeanette Cochrane


Deputy Regional Councillor, Royal 
College of Speech and Language Therapy




Mr Neil Campbell


Chief Executive, Dumfries and 
Galloway Health Board




Mr Paul Hamill


Head of SEN Department, Strathclyde 
University




Mr Jimmy Hawthorn


Association of Directors of Social 
Work




Ms Ros Hunter


Adviser: Support for Learning, 
Borders Council




Dr Patricia Jackson


Consultant Paediatrician, Royal 
Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh




Mr Brian Kirkcaldy


Association of Directors of Education




Mr Ian Liddle


Chair, Association of Scottish 
Principal Educational Psychologists




Mrs Arlene Mooney


Scottish President, National 
Association for Special Educational Needs




Mr Frank Newall


CoSLA




Professor Sheila Riddell


Chair of Social Policy, (Disability 
Studies), Glasgow University




Mr Bruce Robertson


CoSLA




Mr Bill Sadler


President, Scottish Support for 
Learning Association




Mr Kevin Tansley


Head Teacher, The Royal Blind 
School, Edinburgh




Ms Kay Tisdall


Children in Scotland




Ms Janice Walker


Scottish Association of Pre-School 
Home Visiting Teachers for Children with SEN




Mrs Shirley Young


Parent, and information worker 
for families, of children with special needs




  Annex B

  National SEN Advisory Forum Remit

  The forum’s remit has been drawn in general terms to allow a focus on broad strategy and policy issues, while not precluding examination of specific issues of concern in the SEN area.

  The remit is set out below:

  to advise Scottish Ministers on the development and implementation of policies to improve standards of provision for special educational needs and their consistent application throughout Scotland;

  to monitor the implications, for provision of special educational needs, of national policies for improving standards and promoting social inclusion in schools;

  to review progress in the development of approaches for the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream provision; and

  to keep Scottish Ministers and other interested parties informed of best practice in provision for special educational needs.

Student Finance

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the situation where pensioners, who have recently stopped working and are the parents of students, are still making high parental contributions based on income figures dating from the preceding year.

Henry McLeish: The means test used to assess contributions in higher education has not changed materially for many years. We plan to radically review the existing arrangements and will consult on any proposals for change. Information about any particular areas of concern will be considered as part of this process.

  Currently, the parental contribution is normally based on the gross income of the parent(s) for the immediately preceding financial year, less certain deductions, which for the most part are those allowable for tax purposes. Estimated income for the current financial year may be used instead where it can be shown that a parent’s income is likely to drop by 15% or more compared to the previous year.

Student Finance

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond in detail to the full Cubie report.

Henry McLeish: I can today announce the publication of our consultation document Scotland: The Learning Nation – Helping Students.

  This booklet gives more detail about our proposals for changing the way we help students in further and higher education. It builds on our initial response in January to the Cubie Report and responds to all 52 recommendations.

  Our plans include; £3 million for each of the next two academic years to be spent on support with childcare costs for students on further education courses, in particular for students on part-time courses; and bursaries of up to £2,000 for young students in higher education. We will also provide older students in higher education who have additional responsibilities with extra money through bursaries, over and above the available loan support.

  The launch of Helping Students signals the start of a comprehensive consultation exercise on our proposals. People have until 31 August to let us have their views. I am particularly keen to have comments on our plans for the Graduate Endowment and its collection as part of the pre-legislative consideration.

  Copies of the document can be found in SPICe and at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/studentsupport.

Teachers

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive   when the report of the Committee of Inquiry into professional conditions of service for teachers will be published.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I expect to receive the report from Professor McCrone's Committee on Wednesday 31 May. In terms of the committee's remit, the report will be made jointly to me and to the Convenors of the employers and teachers side of the SJNC.

  I am confident that the report will be both thorough and wide-ranging. The report will undoubtedly require careful and thorough consideration. It will be important that all parties with an interest have the opportunity to consider the report and its recommendations in detail. I made clear when I established the committee that I would undertake consultation with the relevant parties before decisions on implementation were made. I have therefore written today to the Convenors of the employers and teachers sides to set out my proposals for consultation and for detailed discussions about implementation. Copies of my letter are available in SPICe. I have said that I intend to meet each of the parties in a series of bilateral consultations in the course of the summer and that implementation should be discussed in a specially convened Implementation Group, which I shall chair. I propose that the Implementation Group will hold its first meeting in early September and that it should aim to reach conclusions by the end of the year 2000 with a view to implementation of changes starting from April 2001.

Working Groups

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the task forces, working groups, review groups, action groups and similar committees established by the Minister for Communities and her deputy ministers since 6 May 1999.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Since 6 May 1999 my deputy ministers and I have established the following groups:

  Race Equality Advisory Forum

  Review of Councils for Voluntary Service

  Strategic Review of Executive Funding to the Black and Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector;

  Common Housing Registers Steering Group

  Common Repairs Working Group

  Single Social Tenancy Working Group

  Homelessness Task Force

  Renewing Local Democracy Group

  Leadership Advisory Panel

  Part V (Police Act 1997) Voluntary Issues Review

  Working Group on Houses in Multiple Occupation Guidance

  Supporting People Stakeholders’ Group